“Nice or Naughty” in ‘Dark Holidays’

Everyone knows that you have to be good, or Father Christmas won’t come.

Everyone knows that you mustn’t wait up and try to catch him, or he won’t leave you any presents.

But little Emilia is clever. She’s worked out a way to get her presents first. She’s worked out a way to make sure being good all year really pays off. She knows that she’s been nice, and her brother’s been naughty. She knows how to get around Father Christmas’ rules.

But Emilia doesn’t know who else is out there on Christmas night. It’s not just Father Christmas who pays attention to who’s naughty or nice.

Krampus is waiting.

Nice or Naughty is a short story set at Christmas time, and based around the old traditions of Krampus. I’ve only recently discovered the ideas and stories surrounding Krampus, but they lend themselves very easily to a modern horror tale and I think I might try to get a few more stories using Krampus in the future.

but for now the first will be found in Dark Holidays, an anthology from Dark Skull Publications and published in November 2014.

Dark Holidays is a collaboration of authors who have come together to take the familiar and reassuring traditions and tropes of national and international holidays and twist them into dark and discomforting reflections of themselves. Come join us in a world where evil stalks the world during your favourite holiday and your fun, lovable holiday icons are transformed into twisted little horror fables.